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A few weeks ago, The Film Experience’s Nathaniel Rogers invited alternative presenter ideas for next year’s Academy Awards ceremony. Among the suggestions I made was a more diverse roster of recognizable filmmakers deemed worthy of presenter status, naming Pedro Almodóvar as an example.
Once again, Oscarcast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman and I seem to be eerily in sync, as Pete Hammond has just revealed that that the great Spanish auteur and Quentin Tarantino are the first confirmed presenters for the ceremony.
Meanwhile, last year’s five-presenter innovation for the acting categories will not be continued, a move that will probably disappoint as many people as it pleases. (I’m in the latter category.)
Speaking to Hammond at last night’s Governors’ Awards, Mechanic instead promised presenter pairings with “real significance,” beginning with Almodóvar and Tarantino, who will hand out the Best Foreign Language Film award together.
Of course, this almost certainly wouldn’t have been possible had Almodóvar’s “Broken Embraces” been submitted by Spain for consideration in the category. (Should Michael Haneke or Jacques Audiard join them on stage to accept the award, as many suspect might be the case, it’d be a gathering more reminiscent of Cannes than the Oscars, no?)
Anyway, what a thrillingly out-of-the-box idea … let’s hope this is an indication of things to come. Roll on March 7.
25 responses so far
1 11-16-2009 at 9:50 am
sosgemini said...
Nooo!!!! The five presenter presentation was the beast freaken part of last years show. Ughh!!!
2 11-16-2009 at 9:50 am
qwiggles said...
“Speaking to Hammond at last night’s Governors’ Awards, Mechanic instead promised presenter pairings with “real significance,” beginning with Almodóvar and Tarantino, who will hand out the Best Foreign Language Film award together.”
I’m not sure what the significance of that is. Tarantino likes foreign films and Almodóvar makes them? I’d be happier to see them presenting Best Original Screenplay.
3 11-16-2009 at 10:13 am
Matthew Starr said...
Maybe they mean significance as opposed to let’s say Will Ferrell and Jack Black presenting best foreign film.
4 11-16-2009 at 10:25 am
Ross said...
What about the following ideas:
70 years after GONE WITH THE WIND winning best picture at the Oscars, all surviving cast members (seven, I think) presenting best picture. It could be a really very emotional moment.
The acting awards being presented by pairs – a legendary acting winner from that category and last year’s winner in the opposite sex category, like best actress being presented by last year’s best actor winner Sean Penn and a legendary actress winner, maybe Julie Andrews. Or Julie Christie, because she’s a huge Meryl fan. ;-)
I think it’s a good idea to have Gordon Willis present the cinematography Oscar. They could play the highlights from the November ceremony and then having him take the stage, receive a standing ovation and present the cinematography Oscar. They’ll have both him on stage and they’ll save time, because he’ll be a presenter after all.
The same way – Lauren Bacall could present another category (probably directing).
And since the first decade of the century is nearly over, why not having pairings like a legend and a modern day movie star presenting in other categories. It could be nice and touching on most occasions. Like think about Best Original Score being presented by Liza Minelli and Anne Hathaway.
I think having Streisand and Redford presenting best original song could be a nice thing. And I bet a standing ovation.
And I think Visual Effects could be something like Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford in a duo. Or even Spielberg, Ford and Connery.
I’d love to see Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange presenting Make-up or Costume Design. It has the wink.
What about Mickey Rooney presenting Animated Feature Film? Or maybe get all the previous presenters in a small group.
There are so many possibilities to make the show more interesting and last year they were closer in so many ways, but they actually kept it too low, I think.
5 11-16-2009 at 10:54 am
Nick Davis said...
I loved the five-wide presentations of last year’s acting trophies, but it was a glorious surprise that I figured would be hard to repeat.
I think it would be great if Bacall, Corman, and Willis presented Best Picture, but maybe that’s just me. The GWTW idea is lovely.
6 11-16-2009 at 11:24 am
Jonathan Spuij said...
Hmm too bad about the actors. It gave the show a slightly more personal note.
7 11-16-2009 at 11:26 am
Chase K. said...
The five-presenter system was terrible. You had five actress/actors reading mustered fake praise from a teleprompter. I had a hard time buying Cuba Gooding Jr. saying anything about anybody. Good Riddance.
8 11-16-2009 at 11:33 am
Suzanne said...
I agree, Chase. The majority of those comments were completely forced. I hardly believe they were written by the speakers themselves, and the idea of them reading off praise written by the writers of the show cheapens the entire presentation.
I also wish we had less actors as presenters in the ceremony. I know they draw in more viewers, but writers and directors can be just as entertaining (and usually more articulate).
9 11-16-2009 at 11:36 am
Ryan said...
I was (and am still) a huge fan of the five-presenter system, but I also agree that doing it every year would somehow make it less special. I think bring it out every 5 years or so.
Also, bravo to Ross for his suggestions above. I doubt the Academy would actually do anything that logical and “bold” but here’s to hoping.
10 11-16-2009 at 11:38 am
aspect ratio said...
I liked the five-presenter system in a way, the idea and thought behind it was good and well-meaning, but the actual presentation never felt completely genuine and natural, and I think it ultimately took away too much attention from what’s actually the important/interesting part: the winner and their speech.
11 11-16-2009 at 12:02 pm
Sean said...
I liked the five presenters. It was nice to see former winners. Gee, I was hoping to see Liza Minelli, Joanne Woodward, Frances McDormand, and Jane Fonda present Streep with her third Oscar :)
12 11-16-2009 at 12:10 pm
AdamL said...
The 5 presenters idea didn’t work because it was in place of the clips which are something I always look forward to. Plus with 20 presenters some people are going to bungle their lines (yes I am talking about you Alan Arkin) and that kinda ruins the whole thing.
13 11-16-2009 at 12:11 pm
Marshall said...
Thank god the five-presenter system is gone! It took forever and was unbearably awkward. Just show a clip from the movie and let us figure out for ourselves why they were nominated rather than feed us a hunk of insincere compliments.
14 11-16-2009 at 12:12 pm
Andrew said...
A+ for the Gone With the Wind idea. That would be just magical.
15 11-16-2009 at 12:42 pm
Chase K. said...
Who are the surving 7 (?) castmembers from “Gone With the Wind” again?
It seems like it would be Olivia de Havilland and a bunch of people nobody has ever heard of, but I’d like to hear who’s left.
16 11-16-2009 at 12:57 pm
Paul Outlaw said...
Of the “principals,” there are only six, I believe. Carreen O’Hara, India Wilkes, Bonnie Blue Butler, Beau Wilkes and Maybelle Merriweather. And of course, Melanie.
Some of the uncredited children are probably still around as well.
17 11-16-2009 at 1:05 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Ah, Maybelle Merriweather … how could you ever be unhappy with a name like that?
(Cue stories from those better-informed than me about Ms. Merriweather’s history of clinical depression, drug abuse, multiple divorces, etc…)
18 11-16-2009 at 1:38 pm
Robert Hamer said...
“(I’m in the latter category.)”
Agreed. I hated that ass-kissing parade.
19 11-16-2009 at 1:47 pm
Matt T said...
Hated the 5 presenters. Listening to actors pat each other on the back just felt awkward. Also, it completely ruined the fluidity of the whole ceremony, especially when it seemed like the presenters wrote their bit like 5 minutes before saying it (Shirley Maclaine, Adrien Brody).
20 11-16-2009 at 1:54 pm
SHAAAARK said...
Aw, come on, no off-the-wall speculation on presenters?
Here’s who SHOULD present:
Best Animated Feature – Ellen Degeneres & Albert Brooks
Best Original Score/Song – John Williams and some well-known past song winner
Best Documentary – Al Gore
Original Screenplay – Diablo Cody, hahahahaha
21 11-16-2009 at 1:58 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Best Picture: Megan Fox and Michael Bay
22 11-16-2009 at 2:01 pm
Paul Outlaw said...
Best Visual Effects: Meryl Streep and Tina Fey.
23 11-16-2009 at 5:00 pm
head_wizard said...
YES! no more stupid five presenter thing, keep up reversing everything from last year!
24 11-16-2009 at 5:23 pm
Neel Mehta said...
Tarantino as a presenter? I thought the producers wanted to keep the ceremony short…
25 11-16-2009 at 9:35 pm
Marvin said...
I love Pedro, he is my favorite director alive, and 2nd only to Billy Wilder. He’s a great example of pop perfection and I am very happy to know he’ll take the stage come March. Hopefully his name in the press will get Academy members interested in watching Los abrazos rotos (as if star Penelope Cruz was not enticing enough) and ensure it at least an Original Score nomination.